Core52 - Easter Sunday
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
The 1st Easter morning did not begin with crowds of Jesus’ followers crying out in a parade, “He is risen!”
If there was crying, it was among the women who made their way in the early morning light to a tomb to offer love and respect to their master by finishing his burial preparations.
On that Easter morning, His closest followers were motionless, without direction, the closest any of them came to making plans for the future was Peter who could only think of going back to what he knew: fishing.
Soon they would piece together Jesus declaration that he had given his life as a ransom for many. His death on the cross would make sense as the sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.
Atonement for sins was prophesied and longed for.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
But the surprising part that no one saw coming was the resurrection.
It’s one thing for us to be forgiven. We continue to celebrate our atonement every Sunday in the Lord’s Supper.
But the result of the atonement is found in the resurrection.
Resurrection is more than “life after death,” more than bodies brought back to life.
The resurrection is where we experience “new.” A complete transformation. We are different. Our loyalties are different, our mission is different.
As we celebrate the Risen Lord, we take these moments to be reminded of just how new our lives really are. Like our spiritual ancestors on that first Easter, we have:
New Leader for life
New creation (ourselves and our world)
New opportunity
A New Leader
A New Leader
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Peter’s insistence in that first Christian sermon was that following the Risen Christ was the path to God.
His resurrection proved beyond doubt that Jesus is one God has chosen to be Messiah, King, Leader.
That this Jesus is a leader for us to follow for life. 3,000 plus people agreed with him and formed the nucleus of the church on that day.
Q: Who do you really follow every day?
A New Creation
A New Creation
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Whatever or whoever we used to be is gone. From the moment of faith, Jesus has transformed us.
Too often we continue to carry around mindsets and habits of the “old person” with us.
The promise is that you and I are new. We can have hope for today and for eternity.
Q: What do you hope for the most?
A New Opportunity
A New Opportunity
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
This is already true. And it’s only true because Jesus has been resurrected and is at God’s right hand. The position of power.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Because we follow a new leader, who has transformed us into a new creation, we have amazing opportunities.
Our life’s testimony is that Easter is true. New life is not a myth. It’s a reality. We are living it, growing in it.
Q: How, especially right now, can you and I find opportunities lead others to their experience of God’s “new” in the resurrection of Jesus?
Conclusion:
The resurrection is at the core of our faith.
It is the source of hope for this life and eternity.
In the resurrection we are transformed right now, tomorrow and forever.
Jesus has become the new leader of our lives.
He has made us entirely new.
We are given the opportunity to show the Risen Lord in our lives and to fulfill Jesus’ ultimate command to go and make disciples.
Just like our spiritual ancestors did after that 1st Easter morning.
Prayer.